Opinion

CRAPshoot in Kingston

PREFACE: Those that own dogs and are aware what a doggy doodoo bag actually is and what it is used for, please disregard the following article. Further, I love dogs – having owned one myself but not presently due to living in a unit.

Kingston is a nice place and has a lot going for it but an increasing number of a specific incident is becoming more common, especially at the Kingston Foreshore.

It has become the territory of the ‘Dirty Dog Sh#tter,’ where some people that purport to love their pets and be responsible dog owners, walk their dogs and let them take their dumps wherever they want and then fail to clean up the subsequent mess.

Where is this occurring, you may ask? It’s happening down on the grass, road, footpath, in front of units, businesses and if you’re at the Foreshore then I can confidently say probably coming to a location close to you.

After the act is conducted, the selfish, lazy, irresponsible dog owner/s then generally proceed to walk merrily on their way with their pets.

I witnessed an incident a month ago where I took the owner to task. More recently, the day before yesterday I let one go due to it being enabled by an overweight, elderly lady and her old, blue heeler cattle dog along Trevillian Quay ……. however in rethinking, next time I will be having words with her and also taking photographs and reporting this individual. I’m sure there will be a response, and I’m also absolutely confident that it won’t be an acceptance of responsibility.

I have seen residents on one side of the foreshore go to the extreme of actually spray painting signage on the footpath reminding people it is not a dog toilet on the grass in front of their units and that there is bushland across the road.

Residents have paid good money for real estate here, other Canberrans love coming here for the atmosphere/dining and business people don’t need this on the footpath in front of their premises. The foreshore is a high-density public area where families and kids regularly walk on the footpaths/grassed areas and next to the planted trees. This high-density environment also requires people to have respect for their neighbours.

I would like to know what, if anything, the council does or intends to do about this.

If you can’t clean up after your dog when it does it’s business in public, perhaps you should reconsider owning one, SERIOUSLY.

I agree - I don't understand why people do that! If my dogs poop we scoop and then take the bags to be dropped in the nearest bin (even if that means carrying it home with us!). Mind you, more bins in public spaces would probably help with this and all the other rubbish you mention - it amazes me that people are so lazy / inconsiderate / disrespectful of others who share their space.

every day we walk our dog, MOST days we pick up all sorts of garbage just left on a bench seat or dumped in the waterways....we often collect dog poops tied up in plastic bags & dumped outside our back gate or along the bike path...more bins so people can do the right thing with ALL their rubbish, including used needles and syringes, beer cans & bottles, spray paint cans....you name it! Most humans just dont care about shared natural spaces nor respect waste disposal...😶

I have two large dogs, both of whom prefer alfresco poops to using their own backyard. I clean up after them, and carry (sometimes many) bags in search of a bin. I don’t understand why disposal facilities are so scarce. Surely more bins would encourage less littering, whether it be dog excrement or general rubbish.

Sorry but 'there aren't enough bins' is not an excuse for any dog owner to leave their dog's droppings behind, especially on a footpath. You know you have a dog, just prepare before you leave home and if you have to carry your plastic bags for a while till you reach a bin or home, so be it.

Adelaide has bins and freely-available dog bags everywhere throughout the city. It's brilliant. Yet along all of the walking paths around Canberra, there is not a bin to be seen, unless it's at a playground. I have a large dog who tends to prefer to poo while on his walk, rather than in the backyard (large dog = lots of big poos, sometimes up to five poos per walk; he's at least polite though, never does it on or near a footpath...😂). I get that people need to be more responsible, but I'm sure they would be if it meant you had somewhere to get rid of your dog poo!

Yes that is completely unacceptable, I agree. And this is no excuse-but the is a real lack of bins around-sometimes you have to carry the dog poo bag with you for hours. Which again-we all should-but more bins would mean less people getting fed up and tossing the bag out of frustration.

This is a problem in all areas of Canberra. I own two beautiful dogs and walk them each day, but I get frustrated at those people who do not control their dogs and let their pets bother other people and who also leave the dog mess on the ground, particularly in parks where children play. I have reported some dog owners to Domestic Animal Services but nothing is done. This is yet another area where the ACT government needs to lift their game.